Smoke and Mirrors
by KnightRooked
Summary: Set in S7. It was a weekly match between Alice and Detective Rogers at Roni's like any other one before it. Until Alice starts to wake up…


On top of really digging (obsessing about?) Hook and Alice, I'm really appreciating the dynamic between Hook and Regina. I've always appreciated their antagonistic alliance, but their budding friendship recently has been amazing. So, KnightRook and friendship HookedQueen below. Likely later canon non-compliant, but for now it's how I'm imagining a scene going down.

* * *

The match was heated, to say the least. His knight was closing in, she had lost both of her bishops, and the middle of the board was beginning to look like her own personal Waterloo.

Tilly couldn't be happier. True to his word, the detective had been on time each week for their scheduled game. Each time included food, which he of course paid for, and a friendly exchange that kept her from floating too deep into her thoughts. In spite of his serious exterior, she was really getting to like this Detective Rogers.

 _Does he even have a first name_ , she thought suddenly, _or did he pop out and his parents decided to call him 'Detective', and he decided 'Welp, guess I know what I'm doing now'?_

Perhaps if she had been more focused, she would have noticed a misplayed move, but her eyes were studying the wrinkles of concentration stamped into his forehead. He reminded her of someone. She couldn't quite put her finger on whom. Perhaps someone from long ago in the system, a foster father that wasn't as spectacularly awful as the rest. Maybe it was just someone from a television show she had caught once and her faded memories made her feel like she knew this sitcom-perfect person from a lost time. Maybe someone from a storybook she couldn't for the life of her remember the name of. All sorts of stories were getting mixed in her head these days.

Roni's bar was quiet for the afternoon. The usual Thursday lunch crowd had largely cleared out and Rogers had the rest of the day off. Tilly had to admit, he was a little more fun now that he wasn't obsessing about that Eloise Gardener. The ache of the lie she had been instructed to tell him, that Weaver had insisted was for the best, had mostly died away. Though, the sting of betrayal from the older detective still reared its ugly head in times of silence. Rogers's presence always helped.

"Orders up," Roni said, carrying their respective sandwiches and fries to the table.

Rogers looked up to give a grateful smile, the tension in his forehead releasing just slightly. "Thanks."

"So, who's winning?"

"He is, but I can get him back where I want him," answered Tilly, wiggling her eyebrows.

"It's going to be difficult if you keep putting your queen in harm's way," Rogers offered sagely.

"Distraction, Detective. Smoke and mirrors. All it is, is smoke and mirrors. I'll have you back where I want you in no time."

Rogers just chuckled and moved his knight, capturing her queen's last line of defense—her rook. "Distraction or not, that's a check."

She made a face at the loss, reaching into her bag to feel for her pills. Stupid things. They were the only things that made mealtimes less than perfect—a reminder that she could get upside-down again. A reminder she was a danger without some lab-created chemical coursing through her. Sighing at the thought, she continued to search with her hand, furrowing her eyebrows when it came up empty.

"Tilly?" Rogers asked, both he and Roni watching with mild concern. "Is everything alright?"

Without a word, she dumped the contents of her bag on the free booth space beside her, fumbling through her knick-knacks wildly. "No, no, no, no…"

"Tilly?" Roni repeated, her heart breaking for the girl she now knew she was. "What's wrong?"

"My pills. I can't find—Not here. They're not here. I had them and now…" Tilly shot up from the booth and hunted around them, her heart pounding in her ears.

"It's going to be fine," Rogers insisted as he rose with a more careful urgency. "We'll find them. And, even if we don't, we can figure out a way to get you a refill as quickly as possible."

Tilly continued searching, the fog rolling in—or was it out? She couldn't quite tell. No, she must keep hunting. Hunting like a… what was it? Bandersnatch? No, that was nonsense.

Roni, no, _Regina_ began to get a sense of what was happening. She could see in Tilly's features a rising recognition mixing with the waves of confusion. She had felt it, too, when Drizella laced her drink with whatever the hell potion she had managed to get her slimy little manicured hands on.

"Rogers, can you check out front and around the block? See if they might have fallen out between the troll and here?" she asked.

"Sure," he dutifully replied, already moving toward the door.

Only once the tell-tale bell over her door rang and the coast was clear did Regina approach the wild girl, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. Immediately, Tilly tried to pull away, but Regina was steadfast, albeit tender, in her approach.

"Do you know who you are?" she asked.

"What? Such a silly question. Everyone around here always has such silly questions," the girl mumbled frantically.

"Do you _know_ who you _are_?" Regina tried again. This time, their eyes met, Regina's brown to the welling blue before her, and her feelings were confirmed.

"Alice. I'm Alice."

She had expected Regina to call her crazy, to immediately call the hospital and have her committed. Instead, she saw as Regina moved to close a little more space between them.

"And, do you know who I am?"

Her tone was steady, almost maternal, and Alice let a few frightened tears fall before she replied, "Regina. You're Regina Mills."

When she saw a sad smile stretch across Regina's strong but beautiful face, Alice felt a soft calm begin to wash over her. Then, in an instant, a surge of panic a thousand times stronger began to overwhelm her. What was happening? Where was…. Where…

"Papa!" she exclaimed, her hunt now turning her attention back to the booth they shared, her memories of Tilly and Alice mixing together like some sick, absinthe-riddled cocktail. She wasn't sure if she should be relieved or ill. Her papa! He was here. But he—

Alice turned back to Regina, clenching her jaw in a way that reminded the former Evil Queen far too much of Hook when emotions began to get the better of him. "He's not awake, is he?" It took everything Regina had to shake her head, her heart shattering as she watched the young woman in front of her begin to sag.

Though she was on the other end of this wretched curse, she knew how Alice felt. How absolutely gutting it was to remember someone you loved but they couldn't remember you. She had struggled for weeks to face Henry and Jacinda, to see their eyes almost look through her sometimes. Here, poor Alice, after years of being separated from her own version of Killian Jones, had to grapple with being torn from him in a different, almost crueler way.

Before she knew it, Regina moved to envelope Alice into a tight embrace. For a moment, Alice struggled, the wild animal in her mind still fading away, but soon she gave in and rested her head on Regina's shoulder. Heavy tears fell followed by agonizing, gasping sobs.

"Everyone always takes him away from me," she wept. Regina steadied her with her left arm, her right hand rubbing up and down her spine in a motion she had learned in her years of motherhood soothing away nightmares and illness.

Regina watched the window for signs of anyone, especially Rogers, approaching. The last thing anyone needed was him barging back in to see his forgotten daughter having a breakdown. She also wasn't sure what the girl would do. Likely run, she thought. Anything after didn't bear thinking about.

Never before had the bar matron been happier that her establishment remained empty for so long. As she continued to comfort Alice, she was relieved to feel her tears ebbing and sobs turning to hitched breaths.

"I know this is difficult, Alice. I can't imagine how much for you, but I have _some_ idea. I need you to take some deep breaths, calm down, and we can talk about this."

She half anticipated her to fight. If she had learned anything about her (sometimes reluctant) friend's child, it was her firecracker-like personality. No surprises there considering her parents. _Parent_ , her inner voice chided. _There was no need to dignify that witch with the title, and Killian had earned it twice over._

To her credit, Alice pulled herself together quickly, squaring her jaw in that pirate determination once all hints of tears had been brushed away. "Sorry. I'm okay now."

"No you're not, and that's fine. It's understandable. I know this looks bad now, but maybe this is a good thing. Maybe we can help each other out. Help figure out a way to break the curse together without anyone getting hurt."

Alice's brows knitted, then the memories of the curse's origins were brought back into a faded view. The poisoned hearts. Here, in a world without magic, the original curses didn't affect them. She thought back to the hospital when Weaver was discharged and Rogers had reached for her arm to stop her. Nothing had happened. No pain, no screams, nothing.

At long last, she nodded, bringing her sights back up to Regina's warm, maternal gaze. "I'm sorry about Henry. About everyone."

"It's alright," replied Regina.

Alice shook her head, repeating back, "No it's not, and that's fine."

Regina couldn't help the light chuckle that escaped her lips. Leave it to Hook's daughter to throw her words back at her. "You're right. But, maybe with each other's help, we will be."

She looked back to the window just in time to see a frustrated Rogers muttering to himself, heading toward the door. The speed of his pace told her exactly what she had hoped for.

"No luck," he said the instant he stepped back into the pub. "I can call—"

"No need," Regina said, putting her Roni voice back on and letting go of Alice. "We called the doctor on my cell. They're putting an order in and Tilly can pick it up within the hour. They said another hour isn't going to do any harm."

Rogers eyed her suspiciously, then noted the more serene, almost happy look on the younger woman's face. "Alright. Well, Tilly, did you want to continue or do you want to call it a day?"

"No," she rushed to reply, then let out a forced laugh. "I'm fine. I promise. I can get back to beating you."

This time Rogers did relax, setting his back against the booth and gesturing for her to join him. "I believe I was the one winning."

"Smoke and mirrors, detective. Don't worry. I'll get you back."


End file.
